Samoa Air Charging More for Overweight Passengers

We got word today that Samoa Airlines is now the first carrier to charge more for overweight passengers. The chief executive of the airline, Chris Langton, commented: "There are no extra fees in terms of excess baggage or anything – it is just a kilo is a kilo is a kilo."

Samoa is one of those lovely nations that see a high obesity rate, and Langton believes this new pay-as-you-weigh system will increase health awareness.

So how does it work, exactly? When passengers book online, they must enter their weight along with their luggage weight; rates vary depending on flight distance (from $1/kg on short domestic routes to around $4.16/kg on longer flights). And sure, you could lie, but you'll also have to step on the scale at the airport as a precautionary measure (how embarrassing!).

What does this mean for the average customer? Well for one, you could save a lot of money, Langton says. "A family of two adults and a couple of...kids...can travel at considerably less than what they were being charged before," he commented.

Do you think passengers should be charged per pound? Is this system the wave of the future?